President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared Friday night’s deadly crash along the Harare-Masvingo Highway a State of Disaster after 27 members of the African Apostolic (Mwazha) Church were killed.
The crash occurred at about 8.30pm near Honeyspruit Bridge in Chikomba District, Mashonaland East, when a commuter omnibus carrying church members collided head-on with a haulage truck.
The church members were travelling from Dema to Ndarikure in Mvuma when the vehicles collided. The impact triggered a fire that trapped passengers inside the minibus.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said 24 people died at the scene, while three others died after being taken to Chivhu General Hospital.
Seven survivors sustained critical injuries and are receiving treatment at the hospital.
The minibus driver was among those killed, while the truck driver survived and was taken to Harare for further treatment.
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Mnangagwa invoked Section 27(1) of the Civil Protection Act to allow Government to coordinate assistance for the victims and their families.
“The declaration of a State of Disaster will enable the Government to mobilise the necessary resources and coordinate appropriate interventions to assist the affected families and survivors,” Garwe said.
Government has taken responsibility for the medical treatment of the injured as well as burial-related costs, while authorities work to identify the deceased.
“The names of the victims will be released once the identification process has been completed and the information duly verified,” Garwe said.
Emergency teams and members of the Chivhu community were involved in the rescue and recovery operation. Cranes were used to recover victims from the wreckage, while fire crews battled the blaze.
The highway was temporarily blocked by the wreckage and mining equipment carried by the truck, but has since been reopened.
The tragedy comes less than three weeks after the Lake Kariba ferry disaster, which claimed 97 lives and was also declared a State of Disaster.
The two tragedies have renewed concerns over transport safety and the need for stronger enforcement of safety standards on Zimbabwe’s roads and waterways.
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